Author: Nancy

June 15th Update

June 15th Update

by Nancy ♥ 18 Comments

From the family:

As always, we continue to be grateful for all the texts, calls, and overwhelming support you all have shown our family during this time. It’s been a while, so we thought we’d give a little update on Nancy. The past few weeks she has had both good days and bad. Unfortunately, her ammonia level has risen causing confusion and extreme fatigue. We have been working with the doctors to get it down, but they said it could take a while.

In addition, her most recent scans done on June 10th showed increased cancer in her stomach lining. However, we were thankful to learn that the liver and pancreas remain mostly stable.

Even in the midst of pain, confusion and fatigue, Nancy continues to be her joking, lighthearted self. She has really enjoyed her visits from friends and continues to pray that God will use all of this for His glory.

We would ask all of you, her prayer warriors, to please pray that her ammonia level will stabilize quickly which would alleviate a lot of her symptoms. Continue to pray for complete healing which we have no doubt that our God can do, and also for wisdom to know the next steps we should take in this journey.

These next steps could include some procedures with UAB that would incorporate some surgery as well as ablations to her liver. Additionally, we are having discussions with a biotherapy company in California that is very encouraging. Please pray for God to guide us in the direction he wants us to take.

Blessings to you all.

Chat

May 15th Update

by Nancy ♥ 30 Comments

From the Family: 

Dear friends, 

Thank you so much for your continued love, prayers and support for Nancy as she continues her battle with cancer. In the last few weeks, she has struggled with extreme fatigue and some mental confusion which has made things difficult for her at times. She is so appreciative for all the calls and texts and she is reading all of them, but is having a hard time responding as she has in the past. 

She had CT scans yesterday, and although not aggressive, the cancer has continued to grow. She also had a brain MRI and we were grateful to see that there were no abnormalities evident in the scan. So please continue to pray that God alone will defeat this disease and that He would be glorified through her healing and her life. Matthew 19:26. 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love you have shown our family.

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May 4th Update

by Nancy ♥ 15 Comments

To my Dear Prayer Warriors,

   Al and I have been enjoying some time at the beach this past week, and we are thankful for rest and sunshine and a time to pray. 

  We have decided to go to Sloan Kettering (a cancer center in N.Y.) on Tuesday. They are still waiting on some scans and tissue samples from my doctor, and the weather is not looking good so the plan may change. I will let you all know if things don’t go as planned.

   For the most part I have felt pretty well these past few weeks. As you know, in mid April we did scans and labs and the tumor marker jumped up to 4279 (CA19-9). This past Monday we had our usual labs (every two weeks), and the labs showed the cancer marker had dropped to a little over 3100. We have been so happy and grateful to our God that the number went down and not up!

Perhaps Sloan Kettering will have another treatment that we can try as well. We are still inquiring of the Lord and praying for wisdom. I pray that they have a treatment because I do not want to go everywhere looking for answers. I am thrilled to have summer here to enjoy my children and grandchildren. My God knows that I still long to stay firmly in His hands and His will.

You have all been such amazing prayer warriors and friends who have encouraged us with your love, prayers, and help. I will try to let you know about Sloan Kettering’s report as soon as I know. 

Ps 33:16-19
No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those that fear him, on those who wait on his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 

Please pray that these verses will describe our walk every day.

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April Update

by Nancy ♥ 19 Comments

Dear Friends,

Since it has been nearly a month since many last update, I thought I would write a quick note and let you know where things currently stand. On the 15th of April, I had scans and blood work done, and the results were not as encouraging as we had hoped. There has been a little growth in the pancreatic tumor and my lungs showed a few nodules which they plan to continue monitoring. And unfortunately, my CA 19-9 numbers jumped back up into the 4000’s range where they were months ago. The encouraging news was that my liver lesions are stable. According to the doctors, this is the most important of the effected areas. So we are praising God that my liver was stable. 

Al and I may decide to take a quick trip to the beach, but my next blood work is scheduled for around the end of the month. Please continue to lift me up to the Father for healing and strength in the days to come. You cannot imagine how much your prayers have meant to our family. 

I hope every one of you and your families have a wonderful Resurrection weekend. 

Love,

Nancy

Scan Update

Scan Update

by Nancy ♥ 21 Comments

Dear Friends,

Again, I thank you for your continuous prayers for me. This past week was my week for blood work and scans, as well as the doctor’s visit to discuss the results. To God be the glory, my scan results were unchanged from the last scan which was 5 weeks ago. Therefore, my cancer is currently not spreading and I am considered “stable.” We plan to continue with bloodwork every 2 weeks and scans every 4 weeks. This is so that we can make sure that the cancer does not suddenly take off and start growing unexpectedly.

We have such peace as we watch God work through His plan for my life. We are still amazed at the number of people who have encouraged us that they are praying daily for healing. Our lives are in God’s hands, but He has given us all the privilege of coming before His throne with our requests. What a God we serve!

Al and I want to thank all of you for everything you have done to demonstrate the love of God through your acts of service and gentle words of hope. We love you so much and we love our God who has brought you into our journey.

Thank you,

Nancy

A Thank You Update

A Thank You Update

by Nancy ♥ 28 Comments

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I want to give you a quick update on how things are going. Al and I stand amazed at our God, as we have seen Him raise up countless people to pray on my behalf. Those many prayers have lifted me up when I was too weak and tired to pray for myself.

If you recall, my CA 19-9 level (the primary marker for pancreatic cancer) was roughly 4100 before we left for MD Anderson. The next blood test after our return home showed that the CA 19-9 had dropped to 2856, which is a 30% drop. Just this week, another test indicated that the level had dropped even further to 1953, another 30%! We praise God for allowing us to have this encouraging news. My prayer has been to feel well enough to enjoy my family, friends and whatever ministry God has for me. I can tell you that in these last 2 weeks, I have felt much stronger and more like my old self. They have been the best 2 weeks since my cancer diagnosis and I am grateful for that.

In these coming days, please pray for my next CT scan, which is scheduled for the 18th of March. We are hopeful that the tumor will at least be stable, if not shrinking, given the encouraging news from my blood tests. I would also ask that you please pray for relief, as I am still having some pain in the abdominal area. We continue to be so grateful for all of your prayers and support.

Nancy

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

Post MD Anderson

Post MD Anderson

by Nancy ♥ 18 Comments

My Dear Friends,

Al and I are back from MD Anderson. We had more tests and blood work and then we met with the doctor. My scans had not changed much nor had my bloodwork. I am so thankful the cancer had not spread. Unfortunately, even MD Anderson did not have a drug, even one in a trial phase, that was far enough along to treat my specific cancer. I never realized how many different types of cancers there can be within one specific organ such as the pancreas. So the news was not what we had hoped for, but let us remember that it is Almighty God who will determine my days.

There is a story about David and Bathsheba in 1 Samuel 12 that teaches me how to pray. David had had an affair with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, which resulted in a pregnancy. Nathan, the prophet, reminded David of his sin and David humbly repented in brokenness before God and God forgave him. However, the consequence would be that the baby would die. David prayed for days and did not eat or drink, but continuously cried out to God to let the baby live. His servants were even worried about his mental and physical state. After the baby died, David got up, washed himself and ate, and went to the temple to worship God. His men were amazed at how well he responded to the death of the child. What I see in David’s prayers and response is a complete yielding to God’s will, as well as an intimate understanding that God was so merciful that he might spare the baby. David knew the character of God was so good and I’m sure he had already experienced God’s mercy in his own life.

Please pray for me, knowing as David did, that God can heal me at any time He chooses. Until I am in His presence in Heaven, I shall pray for His divine healing and the strength to still do His will. Thank you, dear friends, for your faithful prayers for me.

“Nothing is impossible with God.” – Luke 1:37

Nancy

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An Update before MD Anderson

by Nancy ♥ 22 Comments

My dear friends,

I am sorry for getting this update out so slowly. The last two weeks were busy ones. On Monday the 27th, Al and I spoke with my oncologist about stopping the chemo until we go to MD Anderson and he was fine with that decision. We head out there on Monday the 10th to get testing and discuss their recommendations for treatment. I must say that with every week I’ve been off the chemo, I have felt more like myself both mentally and physically. The chemo I was on was strong and my body just had a lot of issues with it. It seemed I could never completely recover from one treatment until it was time for the next one to begin. The last few weeks have seen warmer temperatures and sunny days. Feeling better and being able to enjoy the outdoors makes me feel so renewed. You just can’t beat what God creates. 

On January 30th, the doctor called and said my potassium levels were critically low, so they set me up for an IV the next day (4 hours). The Saturday after the treatment I did not feel well, but on Sunday morning I woke up much better. It was a beautiful day and I was able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. This past week I have continued to feel better every day. So now I’m looking forward to the week ahead and our trip to MD Anderson. Amazing what a few good days of feeling well can do for you physically and mentally. 

Please pray for wisdom from God on what to do. I am assuming there may be multiple options. Also please pray for physical strength and a sharper mind. Al and I will need to absorb what we hear and to process it. Finally, please pray for God’s perfect peace as we make the decision on which course of action to take and may He be glorified in whatever we do. I can’t say it enough, but thank you for the love, care, and many prayers lifted up to God for us (and the delicious meals 🙂

Nancy
Psalm 32:8

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Scan Update

by Nancy ♥ 21 Comments

Yesterday I had my scan, and it appears that nothing has changed. This could mean that the chemo has slowed the growth of the cancer; plus, the scan was done of a larger area which did not show any new cancer. For these things we thank God, and thank all of you for praying.

After my last update with the good news of no nausea and more energy, I had a new development which can sometimes happen with chemo. I got thrush in my mouth at first and then down my esophagus making it incredibly hard to swallow. Everyone is trying to get me to eat and drink so that I won’t get dehydrated and will regain some strength, but it has been almost impossible. Fortunately, I have been able to get some new medication for the thrush and it is beginning to clear up.

Please keep praying that God will give us wisdom for each step of this process. Our first visit with MD Anderson is on Feb. 10th.  Also, pray that I will keep trusting God with each new development that comes my way.

Thank you for your faithful prayers. We love all of you!

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Update from 3rd Chemo Treatment

by Nancy ♥ 25 Comments

Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying for me as I faced this latest chemo treatment on Monday! I have not had one drop of nausea and I even have felt a little more energy. This is BY FAR the best I have done yet. I know so many of you have been praying and the results have been amazing. 

Now I would ask that you please pray as tomorrow I have to go get an injection to increase my white blood cell count which is very low due to the chemo. You can also be praying for my upcoming CT scan on Monday morning. They will be scanning from my knees to the top of my neck to see how my pancreas and liver are responding to the chemo treatments as well as determining if it is affecting the surrounding areas. All of this will give us more information to make decisions going forward. Pray for God to give us wisdom each step of the way. What joy and comfort we are experiencing as a result of your love and prayers. May God bless you greatly for caring for us.